Hello from Orlando! (at Epcot - Walt Disney World)

Hello from Orlando! (at Epcot - Walt Disney World)

via Tumblr http://ift.tt/2BqnDvY

Pusheen the Cat, Holiday Stress Relief, and Wish List Roundup

Pusheen the Cat: Utterly Cute and Pretty Funny

PusheentheCat.com

Did you know that Pusheen the Cat (of Facebook messenger fame) is actually a webcomic? I didn't! 

They have a really cute webpage and even a shop with the cutest t-shirts, hair clips, and plushies featuring yours-truly. OMG I want... Must start adding to my Amazon wish list. It's almost time for Christmas!

Which reminds me -- have you made a wish list yet? Go on -- you know you want to! You've got lots of options. And let's be honest: telling people they don't need to get you anything doesn't help. It just makes them feel guilty or frustrated because they'd like to do something nice for you -- and then you run the risk they'll get you something you don't want. How awkward.... better spare yourself the trouble.

Give Stress Relief?

Stockmedia.cc

You have the chance to give everyone a huge gift before the holiday even starts: stress relief! Even if you don't really want anything or don't want lots of stuff, you can guide people towards small things that let people feel like they've blessed you anyway. (Christmas cards, anyone?) Or let them take you out for coffee, or help you with something you need to do.

If you would prefer not to make a list or don't have time but still want to give the gift of stress relief, simply post and/or email your:
favorite color, scent, size (whatever's relevant to you: T-shirt, shoe, ring), iPhone, Android or neither (and/or eBook readers like Kindle or Nook) one or two themes (like geek or makeup or gaming)  and any tips you know of about what friends or family members want and like.

Here's an example: "purple, lavender/Vera Wang's Princess, med/lg T-shirt, Android/Kindle and Nook, geek, gamer, books, crafts."

Here's a suggestion you can use if you want!

     "Hi, I'm sending you some stress relief -- a few details about me and everything I know about our family and friends' likes so your holiday shopping will be easier. Happy Holidays!" 

-- or something like that.

Universal Wish Lists

NextAvenue.org

What they are: online lists that usually have the following basic features (plus any extras):

• Add items from any store
• Set access level: private, invitation only, or public
• Make more than one list with different access levels for different things
• Prioritize and/or add notes or tags to list items
• Decide if you want to see what people get or not
• Even if you choose not to see, items get marked as "purchased" if bought through the list so you won't get duplicates

Universal lists work by sending shoppers to the other stores' websites where items are from. Once there, purchases are governed by that store's policies and prices. Those stores handle the shipping as well. The universal list only stores the information about what you want and where it's from.

Wishers add items to lists, set the access level, then may post a link on their social page (if it's public) or email invitations privately for invitation-only.

Amazon.com

Amazon

• Universal lists
• Write in wishes -- anything you like.
• Make an optional profile with as many details as you like to help your shoppers know the kinds of things you'd be likely to want.
• If you can't think of many things to add to your list, don't worry: Amazon will use any profile details you add to suggest things you'd like to people shopping for you. 
• This article explains Amazon's recommendation process.
• Add your shipping address (secure and not visible to visitors) and your shoppers will have the option to have things from Amazon shipped directly to you. 
• (Most) Amazon things can be gift-wrapped. 
• You (and your visitors) can sort your list items by price, priority, or date added, so it'll be fairly easy to see what you want most.

Extra feature for gift cards givers! Select an Amazon item you think the recipient would like, select a gift card pattern, and add a personal message. The recipient will receive an email with the selected gift card and message, with a picture of the selected gift, which they can then choose to use the gift card toward or not.

Special tip! Use Amazon's price compare barcode scanning app to bring up items in Amazon and then add them to your wish list. The downside is that it will be from Amazon instead of the original store, although you can compare prices and make a note on the wish to go to another store.

Adding wishes: Amazon has several methods to add to your "Universal Wish List" here: add a button to your browser, get a browser extension, or get the Amazon Browser Bar.

It's not clear which browsers support the button, but they have browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, and iPad.  There's no mobile support for the universal wish list (other than iPad); you can only add things from Amazon through the app.

Cons: Mobile support is limited. No manual list reorder. Users may not like getting Amazon recommendations, and some people apparently don't like Amazon. But if you're not one of them, Amazon also has similar shopping lists for family and friends so users can plan and organize their shopping, as well as specialized bridal and baby registries. It claimed third place in Lifehacker's "Five Best Wishlist Tools."

Best for: those who like one-stop-shopping and like to keep things organized, those who like Amazon, those who like the security of going with a well-known business, and those who need wish and/or gift ideas.

Wishspot

Wishspot

Taking the No. 1 spot on Lifehacker's list and recommended by several prominent magazines, Wishspot offers some unique features.

• Universal lists
• Although my perusal of their website didn't find this, Lifehacker says users can import Amazon wish lists.
• Option to wish for money or gift cards
• Offers a price alert, which notifies users when their item goes on sale or reaches a target price. 
• Compares multiple stores but doesn't say how it notifies users of price drops and sales. It also didn't say if it scans stores across the web (like Amazon's Camelcamelcamel comparer) or if it uses its database of vendors. 
• According to Lifehacker Wishspot also offers users the ability to scan wishes into their lists via bar code scanner in their phones, which could be a major boon for users who shop in physical stores at least part of the time.

I'm not sure if this is a pro or a con (you decide): stores can join as vendors so they can be advertised in a by-state listing. On the one hand this is advertising, but on the other it could help users find items they like. The site also seems to collect aggregate data about its users, since it lists "popular wishes" on its main page. It also features Amazon ads (ironic) and multiple blogs suggesting items to want.

Adding wishes: browser button.

Cons: Its browser button appears to only support Internet Explorer and Firefox; no Mac support. It doesn't say if it supports Apple users scanning items in with their iPhones, iPods and iPads. If not, this is a serious hole in their support.

Best for: Windows users who aren't sure what they want and need lots of ideas, those who want to compare prices, those who shop in physical stores, those who like to do things socially, those who don't mind aggregate data collection, and/or who'd like an RSS feed.

The Things I Want.com

The Things I Want

The Things I Want isn't linked with any store or marketplace (that I can tell). However, users can interact with other users' public lists, and some stores seem to have taken advantage of that feature for advertising purposes. The site is recommended by a few magazines and websites and has a few unique features of its own:

• Universal lists
• Comment on other users' public lists
• looks like it has a small social network of users who add other users' items
• Item tagging
• Syndicate your list as an RSS feed: show what you list in real time

The site also claims that it's safe for kids to use, which may be strictly true but I'd argue that kids always need supervision online, and that the site should be careful about its claims because once users leave it to visit stores' sites, everything is out of their hands. They also say a lot about security, but don't specify how--encryption?

Adding wishes: browser button. Supports Firefox, Mozilla/Netscape, Internet Explorer 4 and 5+, Safari, Opera, and AOL Browser.

Cons: No mobile support. Supported browser types seem outdated (Who uses Netscape anymore? And how long have Firefox and Mozilla been merged?). No Chrome support. Multi-step: Users may have to fill in details about items to a pop-up window when they use the browser button (it tries to pre-populate it but it'll always pop up). Then there's another pop-up confirming that the item has been added, and giving the option to go to your wish list or continue shopping.

Best for: those who need wish ideas, who like to do things socially, who use an old browser, or who want an RSS feed.

Wishlistr

Wishlistr

Taking fifth place in Lifehacker's list, Wishlistr (what is it with so many people dropping E's?!) is a pretty option.

• Universal lists
• If you really wished you could manually reorder your wishes, look no further.
• Select themes for your lists
• Import lists from Amazon and/or Delicious bookmarks, 
• Select pictures for your items (or go with the one it picks)
• Sign into the service with Google, Yahoo, or OpenID 
• Facebook sign-in isn't offered (at least so far). 
• Use their RSS streaming to share real-time updates on your blog or website.

According to their FAQ,

      "Wishlistr works best in a modern web browser, such as one of the latest versions of Firefox, Chrome, Safari or Internet Explorer. Your browser needs to accept cookies and we also highly recommend you to have JavaScript support turned on. Wishlistr does not support Internet Explorer 7 and below."

Their website is far simpler than the others and is deliciously free of ads (at least in all the pages I saw), but the free service's support structure isn't clear. However they do encourage questions through their contact form, as well as listing "Digital Venues" as the entity running the site, and have their own blog to update users on new features and to suggest tips.

Wishlistr looks like a good wish list option for autistics because of its incredibly simple site design, lacking many of the usual elements that are overloading. It's also great for those who'd like absolute control of their lists, those who prefer simplicity, those who care about the overall look of their lists but still want the convenience of an online list, and those who want an RSS feed.

Pin Boards
Their visual board-style posts with ability to comment is perfect for a wish list. Plus, it's easy to pin from almost any website with a picture. 

source

Pinterest

Features include an easy-to-navigate website and mobile app with lots of users that pin cool gift ideas and things to wish for. (Relevant if you would like ideas or the abilityto re-pin cool looking things).

There's also Tapiture, but I haven't tried them or really looked at their site. The only thing I have to go on is this article, which uses several examples to prove that girls use Pinterest and guys use Tapiture. I know that's not strictly true though. A downside is that they don't seem as popular as Pinterest. Lots of sites have a Pin button, but I have yet to see a "Tap" button.*

*note: if you have an android device, you can share to the apps and Pin or Tap that way, regardless of site buttons.

source

Cons: You can't pin things that have no image, even if it's just a website logo, and you can't reorder or sort pins. Boards can only be resorted from a desktop computer.
Other people can also comment any time unless the board is secret, but if it is, your visitors won't be able to see it. There's no way to invite people to a board, only to the service as a whole, but it's very easy to send individual pins via email. (Universal lists really need to allow users
to add things via email, the way Evernote does).

Best for: getting lots of ideas and finding cool sites to shop at and collecting wish or shopping ideas that they can share via email.

Other Options

Interestingly, spots #2 and #4 on Lifehacker's list are not specifically wish lists, but they can function that way. It seems that a large number of people use Google Docs and Evernote to store and share their wish lists. There are pros and cons to these (for wish lists) as well. (I wholeheartedly endorse both for regular use for everything, including this if they work for you.)

Pros
In both cases, users have full control over everything (within the program's functionality). Google
Docs users can select either regular documents or spreadsheets, and Evernote users can use tables for similar functionality. In either case users have full privacy, since they can add/invite others to view a folder or page via email. Visitors can be given read-only, comment, or full edit permissions, providing a way for them to let each other know what they're going to purchase and avoid duplicates.

Cons
There's no way to have a public list in Evernote, and that setting in Google Docs doesn't make it easy for people you know to find it, but does make it possible for strangers to comment if you have that set -- and if you don't, nothing can be marked as purchased. This is also not a great option for older
relatives who aren't tech-savvy, because they're not self-explanatory. Evernote users can use its web-clipper like the universal list adding button, but Google Docs has nothing similar that I know of.

Best for: people who already use these services heavily, want to make sure they can archive their lists indefinitely, want full privacy, who plan to share their lists with everyone via email, and whose
family is tech-savvy or at least familiar with the programs so they'll know what to do.

Store Specific Wish Lists

Some websites have their own integrated wish lists, which are usually really easy to add their things to.

Cons: you can usually only add things from that site, so you end up with multiple lists, which is confusing. Some stores only let you see the wish list, for later shopping you want to do yourself -- you can't share it.

Best for: planning future shopping that you want to do yourself, because they let you move things directly from the wish list to the shopping cart with the push of a button.

Paper Christmas List*

Paper (letter to Santa?)

And then there's the old fashioned way: write on pretty (or plain--you can decorate it yourself!) paper. Here the possibilities are almost endless. There's the traditional letter to Santa, colorful printouts, cards -- you name it. This option may allow for the most personalization. You can add doodles, diagrams, or illustrations. (See right for example.)

One other unique feature of paper lists is that you can quietly leave them where they'll be found. That's handy if you're shy or worried about seeming pushy. Or you can hang it on the wall to make sure no one forgets!

Cons: No clickable links. Can't reorder list easily. Mainly good for sharing in-person; otherwise takes snail mail unless scanned into a computer.
Best for: personalization, nostalgia, shy people, hanging on the wall, small children, or an intimate note to a special someone.

Apps -- Coming in Part II!

Because this article has already gotten so long and will be a detailed topic that will require more research and because I want to do it full justice, I will cover it in a Part II, with a full conclusion at the end. Stay tuned! If you know of any apps I should definitely not miss, leave me a note in the comments!

Combination

Lastly -- do like me! Have a combination. I do an Amazon wish list for quick and easy reference in case anybody needs to know what I like, use Pinterest to collect ideas, and would write a pretty paper list for my parents. This year I'll probably do that for my boyfriend. I may also get Wishlistr so I can add an RSS feed of cool things I'd recommend here on my blog!

Conclusions (Part 1)

• Universal lists are the easiest option for those who want multiple things from multiple stores. 
• To fill the mobile gap, I suggest using Amazon's or another app, saving things to Pinterest or save urls to a note app. 
• Pin boards are good for people who want only one or two things, or who need ideas or would like to save ideas for their list. 
• Paper is good for nostalgic or shy people who'd just like to put their list where it'll be found, but it's not the optimal option these days. 
• A combination of tactics may be the ticket if you're like me and like features of more than one or have complicated needs, but it may be overwhelming to some.
• If you're worried about seeming pushy or greedy, just post your list. That way people can find it if they want to, and it'll help them (and you!). 

This list of wish lists options isn't comprehensive, but it has the most common and recommended
ones. Did I miss your favorite wish list? Send me the details and I'll add it!

Oh and last of all: don't forget to follow all the things! @Pusheen on Twitter, Like on Facebook, and if you have Tumblr, follow their blog for all the cute goodness! (or just add it to your Feedly!) On another note, I'd be remiss not to at least mention Simon's Cat, a really funny animated webcomic that my boyfriend loves. Kitty lovers rejoice!

Stay tuned for more
RiWriting

P.S. Many thanks to Flickr users who set their photos under the Creative Commons license, allowing me to use them here on my blog (especially since it's non-commercial).

Special thanks to Flickr user georgeanddana for the use of the paper Christmas list photo, and to Manoli for his beautiful smile and artwork. Thank you for showing us how it's done.

P.S.S. Whew! This post was a lot of research and work! I think I'm getting the hang of formatting now though. I really need to get past perfectionism and paranoia that I'll mess up somehow so I'll finish faster. Thanks for your patience!

Kit Kat 4.4: Frustrating Betrayal - Thank Heavens for Apex Launcher

** warning, this is an informative rant **

The fateful email.

So I got an email from Motorola about an update for my Moto X (Kit Kat 4.4). After the iOS 7 update I've been super wary and distrustful (can't stand my iPod anymore), so I decided to check and see if it was coming to my phone and then look it up to decide if I wanted it or not. Big mistake.

Motorola didn't mention in the email that just checking to see if there was an update would start the download automatically -- a download I couldn't stop, even by hard rebooting my phone. (They've lost my trust now.)

So while the download was going on, I sadly and helplessly looked up what might be about to impose itself on me. It's iOS 7 crap.* Flatter, whiter, sterile. Why is everyone trying to copy Apple?!

But one of the worst things is that they stuck Google Now on the left home screen, like Apple's annoying and screen-wasting search in iOS 6. (You know, I think that may be the only feature I really hated in iOS 6...)

So now they have the one feature of iOS 6 I really disliked and none of the positives. If they are trying to copy Apple (the way it looks) they're lagging an update behind. I don't see why they felt the need to do this though -- they already had the pull-up menu on the lock screen and home screens.

If Google had really wanted to make Google Now more accessible and useful, they should have let users put cards on their Google home screen when they open Chrome, and input info about exactly the kinds of cards they'd like and info about themselves. It would be the best way for users to see how cards apply to them, and put cards where they're most likely to be useful. (Not to mention giving Google more user info -- win, win.) Where do most people go for a web search? Their browser. We're well trained. That's the best place for these cards, if they want us to use them consistently. (But I get the feeling they and several other companies are trying to train users to do things differently.)

Google's getting really annoying (and scary) about being pushy. They make something new, but then instead of letting it stand on its own, they try to rub our noses in it and force us to use it. This is only the latest example.

Here on my blog, every time I open my Dashboard, I get hit with a big splash ad urging me to merge my Blogger with Google Plus, using my G+ profile instead of my Blogger one and auto-sharing my posts on G+. And when I open my posts to edit them (which has been multiple times per day) I get stuck with a splash ad telling me how I can now tag people's G+ profiles in my post. Why would I want to do that?! If people want to read my blog, they will. I'm not going to shove it at anyone. I write to share my interests with people who may also like them, and if I'm lucky, inform people and maybe get to know them and what they think of things.

My boyfriend just reminded / informed me that YouTube has now been updated so that if you want to post videos or comment, you have to have a G+ profile. At least they haven't set it up so that you have to have a profile to even see videos -- opp, better watch my mouth or I'll give them ideas.

I maintain that G+ is a pseudo social network. I'd argue that it's more like a social blogging platform where the bloggers get to add you to their audience -- some blogger's dream, maybe. But I think it's more like having my eyelids removed.

I'm in the circles of so many strangers... At one point I tried to add them all to a circle called "Who are you?" So I could look them up and try to figure it out later, but I quickly gave up. They were complete strangers and we had nothing in common. Yet my feeds grew full of their stuff.

Yes, I could look at one circle at a time, but I still feel like someone left the front door to my home open, and looking at one circle at a time is time consuming and brain exploding. It wouldn't be so bad if I got paid to use G+; all those hours would be worthwhile. But as it stands, I have other things to do besides wade through piles of mass-mailed text from strangers. (I'm drawing a distinction between mass-mailing and stuff sent specifically to me, like blog comments or emails or Facebook messages -- I welcome those.)

Maybe I'm missing the point. After all, I'm writing to probable strangers right now. I do that on Facebook too. It's not a horrible thing. (I think it's cool in the right context) And sometimes, if I'm lucky, we'll start talking and get to know each other a bit. But on Facebook (and here) I feel I have a measure of control, like I have layers of privacy and publicity. I get to control what goes into my feed / blog, what gets published and who sees it and who I friend. Only my friends get to see one layer. My family sees another, acquaintances another. Facebook did a good job of figuring out how people's social lives are layered. Google may have led that feature, but Facebook perfected it.

On the other hand, Google is set up to encourage sharing to as many people as possible -- even to make things public. Rather than "share to friends" their big default is "my circles" and "extended circles." But wait! Are they assuming that all the people in our circles are friends, since we added them? What about the fact that we're constantly being pushed (there it is again) to add people  (The aforementioned strangers) who add us? They constantly remind us that we can just add them to a circle and thus keep our privacy and control of who we publish to -- then they push us to share everything to all our circles. Am I the only one who spots the flaw here? Extended circles just raises that problem / flaw to an exponential level. So you've got all these strangers in your circles and they've got more strangers in theirs ... By the time it's over, you might as well have hit "public" not to even mention second and third level sharing.

Like I said, it's great for blogging but not for having a multilayered social life and keeping in touch with people you know from real life. And I'm not even talking about the way Google pushes you to add everyone in your gmail, then pushes you to share things with them even if they're not on Google Plus, then sends them spammy emails linking to G+ and pushing them to join. (In my experience, this is a good way to make people irritated with you. What's terrible is when it happens accidentally because you got pushed into adding them to a circle which you forgot doing and then pushed into sharing with "your circles" which obviously includes even "I won't post to this one." But who can remember every person added to every circle?) The system isn't currently well-designed for keeping in touch or having friends whose lives you can keep up with without having  to read several pages per post.

This is why, when people draw correlations between Google Plus and Facebook, I shake my head. G+ might have the basis to one day become an awesome social network and way to keep in touch with people, but it isn't right now.

Disagree or think I missed something? Post a comment and I'll happily respond.

Thanks for reading my
RiWriting

P.S. I've been hard at work everyday since starting this blog on articles, research for future articles, blog layout, widgets, code, and research on not-infringing-image-copyrights. Bless those Flickr people who set their pictures as Creative Commons! Anyway you have a lot to look forward to. Stay tuned for:

"Pusheen the Cat, Holiday Stress Relief, and Wish List Roundup Part I" 

I've been working really hard on this one every day!

Also coming soon: "Holiday Wish List Roundup Part II: Apps"
"Holiday Gift Ideas: Give the Gift of Experiences"
"Adventure Game App Roundup"
"Egg Custard Recipe, Tweaked to Perfection"
"Musings on Pot Roast: My Take"

Do you see anything in there about automatic download?

*Ok, Kit Kat does have a cool feature: phone book and Google integration.)

RiWriting: The Adventure Begins - Origami Makes Useful Items and Gifts

Hi there!

Pardon the mess, the blog is brand new and under construction!

Lots of content is in the pipeline, but for a sneak preview, visit my Pinterest or  Facebook feeds.


source

I'm surprised to see you, reader, but since you're here, here's a taste of things to come: Practical Origami, where you'll find step-by-step instructions for practical, actually useful, everyday things.

These (and other origami items) make great, inexpensive-but-heartfelt gifts as well. Because they're so easy and fun to make, I like to use them as (and in) "anytime" gifts. I love to give gifts for all kinds of reasons! Gifts are a great way to show appreciation or affection, or to uplift someone who's discouraged. Gift-giving is one of the Five Love Languages![*]

Paper is actually a lot more durable than you'd expect, depending slightly on the kind you use. From the flimsiest tissue paper to tough card-stock, you can find the right material for a durable, useful item. Think about this: cereal boxes are made of layered paper! Try deconstructing one and see for yourself.

After you've finished making your home look like a recycling plant, you might just get curious and come back for a glimpse of everything else I'm going to post. (Either that or to rant at me for suggesting the cardboard deconstruction.)

I plan to post a bunch of different topics that interest me: cooking & recipes, game reviews & walkthroughs, gadget overviews, opinions, lifehacks, crafts & sewing, book & movie reviews, aggregated articles on topics I'm interested in at the time--whatever I can think of. The point of this blog is to have fun and practice writing regularly, and I don't expect I'll get many readers--but it will be wonderful if something I post is helpful or interesting to someone. 

Hoin you find stuff that interests you -- stay tuned if you like, there will be a lot more

RiWriting

*The word "love" here means "appreciation or affection or passion"--it's actually very vague and can refer to professional respect, friendship, family love, or passionate love.